Keep in mind, to a great majority of voters, $64,000 is an enormous salary. When told "We cannot find high-tech talent, even after offering $64,000" most voters (who make much less) will agree with the statement, "We need to look outside our borders for high-tech talent".
most voters (who make much less) will agree with the statement, "We need to look outside our borders for high-tech talent"
== Source?
A (genuine) subsample of "voters" earning under $64k are unlikely to support foreign labour substitution of any kind. In part, this is because the majority of these folks do not reside near silicon valley. Average wages in metro areas, excluding "slums", are significantly higher tha the US average. Stratify Manhatten south of 96th street, for example, vs Metro New york. The support for H1Bs is higher amongst the "manager" class than the working class. The working class gets no benefit from H1Bs. To the working class 64k may be an enourmous salary, but it is not to the manager class. So again, the idea that "workers" have any interest in supporting this is silly. Alternatively, if they had any interest in this area, they would be already working in it, an thus not consider 64k "real money", because their housing costs are likely 10x that, given the areas in which they need to reside. Lastly, the h1bs don't apply to the type of low-skill labour that concerns the immigration/green card dynamics that the urban minorities/poor do suppor. H1Bs are supported primarily by wealth white suburbia and the "landed gentry" of upper management in urban areas.
To really get an idea of how H1B screws the working class and poor, look at the lower-paid jobs. It seems like many of them don't require a bachelors degree, or just require some kind of vocational education.
These are the 30k to 45k jobs that make up the lower half of the "middle class."
That's just unfair. Local workers need to get a first chance at these jobs.
Never mind it is illegal to use H1-Bs as a source of cheap labor.
I've actually reported a company who posted a H1-B notice for a software engineering position that I happened to see while visiting that was clearly 30% below market rate.
